


Something So Magic About You

by TinyButFierce



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Finds Out About Merlin’s Magic (Merlin), BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Gen, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Once and Future King, Warlock reveal, creature of magic Merlin, warlock merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22392124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyButFierce/pseuds/TinyButFierce
Summary: Merlin knew that the patrol would end badly. He knew it, and now they were trapped in a cave behind a magical wall that only a creature of magic could pass through and take down.The good thing was that they did have such a magical creature.The bad thing was that it was Merlin.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 791





	Something So Magic About You

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "From Eden" by Hozier
> 
> I own nothing.

If asked, Merlin would claim that somehow, the act of going on patrol was cursed. Every time that they went out of the castle with the intention of riding around in the woods, something bad would happen. In this case, they were miles away from Camelot and getting close to the border with Mercia. 

The knights bickered with each other as Merlin and Arthur exchanged the normal insults that occurred at a regular interval between the two. They stopped for the night, making a camp amidst the trees. The knights sparred with each other as Merlin prepared the fire and food. The warlock was more tense than usual. Glancing around, he saw Arthur approaching him. The King sat down and placed his hand on his servant’s shoulder. “You okay there? You seem more twitchy than you usually are. Granted, you always seem scared but this is more than I would normally expect.” 

Merlin frowned back at Arthur. “I don’t get scared, and I’m certainly not scared now.” Arthur laughed and started to respond but was interrupted by a shout from Gwaine. The knight ran over and brushed his hair out of his face. “Princess, we found a cave close to here. There are some… symbols engraved into the walls. We figured that an investigation is warranted.” 

Arthur stood up and grabbed his sword, not noticing Merlin’s wary glance. He pointed at Gwaine and Leon, who had arrived after the other knight. “Us three will go and investigate.” He turned and looked at the others. “You’ll stay here and guard the camp. If we don’t come back within an hour… you know what to do.” 

Merlin stood up as the three began to walk towards the cave. “I’m coming with you.” Arthur frowned. “This could be dangerous. Are you sure?” The servant steeled himself. “Of course I’m sure. Someone's got to protect you clotpoles.” Leon laughed and Arthur rolled his eyes. “Alright, Merlin. If you wish.” 

The four walked away from the camp and approached the cave that Leon and Gwaine had found. The knights drew their swords and walked slowly into the opening, Merlin trailing behind them. Leon gestured forward. “The symbols are in the main chamber, just ahead.” 

The chamber had the classic look of a cave, high ceilinged, dark, and a sense of foreboding. Leon moved the torch so it illuminated the symbols decorating the far wall of the cave. The group walked forward, and Arthur reached out his hand to trace the symbols. 

As his hand touched them, a bright yellow light flashed around the room, momentarily blinding the group. They regained their vision and looked around at the new sight. In a semi-circle around them was a bright yellow wall of magic with the symbol covered wall as the diameter. The group was trapped. Just behind the wall of light was a lever that had not been there before. Arthur walked forward towards the wall and reached out his hand. Before he could touch it Merlin spoke up. “Arthur, wait. This wall appeared when you touched the symbols, what will happen when you touch this.” 

The King withdrew his hand and took a step away from the light. Leon put his sword down and approached the King. “Sire, Merlin is right. We have no way of knowing what this will do.” Arthur sighed and walked back towards the symbols in the wall. “Do we have any way of deciphering what these are?” 

Leon shook his head, but Gwaine sent a curious glance towards Merlin whose eyes were scanning the writing. The knight narrowed his eyes but told Arthur that he had no idea. Arthur continued to look at the symbols but stopped and looked at Merlin. Seeing that his servant seemed to be reading the symbols, he interrupted him. “Merlin. You wouldn't happen to know what these say would you?” 

The warlock looked up in surprise. “Ummm yeah. Gaius has some books about… medicine… that use this type of writing in it. He had me learn it.” The King raised an eyebrow. “Then why didn’t you say anything? Obviously we need to know what’s going on.” Merlin scoffed. “I hadn’t finished reading it yet you prat, this stuff is hard to translate.”

Arthur sighed. “What does it say?” Merlin looked away from the King and back at the symbols. He cleared his throat. “Destiny comes and so shall this. Secrets shall go run amiss. Creatures of magic hide in plain sight. Only one of them may release the light.” 

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Arthur snapped.

Merlin was quiet, so Leon took a try at deciphering it. “Perhaps a creature of magic is required to pull that lever?”

“A sorcerer?” Arthur said, a dangerous tone in his voice.

“No.” Merlin said at a whisper. “A sorcerer only uses magic, they’re not a creature of magic.” At the curious gaze he received from the knights, he gulped and tried to recover. “Gaius talked about it once.”

“What kind of creature are we looking for, if you’re so knowledgeable?”

“Pretty much everything you’ve killed or alienated. Dragons, unicorns, sidhes… I can keep going but I don’t think it will help.”

Arthur began pacing the space, glaring at the wall. He pulled his sword out and slowly poked it. To his amazement, the sword slide right through the wall, but the minute his hand hit the barrier he was stopped. Gwaine quickly attempted to do the same thing, but his sword stopped short against the wall.

They all looked with surprise at Leon’s sword which also stopped short. 

Arthur pulled his sword back and examined it. “Well.” He said with his eyebrow raised. “That’s fascinating. Merlin. You were the one who led me to this thing. Any explanation?” 

Merlin was panicking. The questions were getting way too close to things that he didn’t want to talk about, and he knew that Arthur could absolutely figure out when he was lying to his face, he was just too stubborn to figure out the other things he was lying about. A half truth then.

“The sword is very old. Maybe it picked some stuff up over the years.” Merlin said with a shrug. Thankfully, Arthur seemed to buy it. At least Merlin thought he did.

The other knights saved him. Elyan and Percival ran into the cave, and stopped short when they saw the group behind the barrier.

“Sire!” Elyan shouted, racing towards the wall. They stopped right in front of it as Arthur came as close to it as he could.

“Elyan! Percival!” He said. “Are the others still at the camp?” 

“Yes, sire. They have orders to ride back to Camelot for reinforcements if we don’t return.”

“Good.”

“What is this, sire?”

Arthur looked at the wall. “Apparently, we are trapped behind a wall that only a creature of magic can take down by pulling that lever there.” He pointed at it. “You can see our predicament.”

Percival looked at the lever and slung his sword into its sheath. “We could try pulling it.”

“Unless you’re actually a creature of magic, I doubt that would be a good idea.” Arthur said with a sarcastic drawl. 

“We could try.” Percival said.

After a moment of thought, Arthur threw his hands up into the air. “Fine. Try it.”

Merlin knew that it wouldn’t end well. He knew it wouldn’t. Nothing ever went well when they were in situations like this. All that would happen would be the knights knocking themselves out, and then Merlin would have to fix the problem and come up with a clever lie. He knew that he could get through the wall, and it was one of the first moments that he was grateful he was a warlock instead of a normal sorcerer. Of course, he would have to wait until no one was paying attention for him to act, but he was patient.

Percival grabbed the lever, and the minute he did, an arc of bright light soared out of it. Look at that, Percival and Elyan were passed out on the ground. Just great. Merlin sighed. 

The remain conscious knights then spent the rest of the day yelling at the unconscious knights and trying increasingly ridiculous stunts to hit the lever, including a particularly hilarious one of Arthur just waving Excalibur around through the wall, even though the length of the sword was nowhere near the distance to the lever.

Merlin sometimes wondered if he was the only one with a brain. 

He breathed a sigh of relief when the knights finally called it a day and decided to get some sleep before trying again. Merlin dolled out the meager rations that he had, and said that he could take the first watch.

Thankfully, they accepted his offer. When he was positive that they were all asleep, he stood up from where he had been sitting against the wall.

He took one more look at the symbols, and shuddered when he re-read the section about destiny and secrets. He hoped that it wouldn’t be applicable to this situation. The creature of magic part he had down, a warlock could get through and a dragonlord might be able to get through. He was both of those, so that just meant that his chances were doubled.

The wall swirled in front of him as he glanced back to make sure everyone was asleep. They were. He took a step towards the wall, and slowly pushed his hand through.

It was the weirdest feeling of all time.

It felt much alike walking underneath a waterfall, but if the water was pure and exhilarating magic. He gasped as it flowed through him with every step, and he found himself on the opposite side of the wall.

His eyes fixed on the lever, and he lunged forward towards it before he could be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of power that was coursing through him.

The lever was rough underneath his hands, and he pushed down with all of his might until he heard a very loud click. The lever shuddered to a stop, and the wall disappeared.

The magic swelled inside of him, and the last thing Merlin saw were Arthur’s very awake eyes staring at him as he collapsed to the ground.

  
  
  


* * *

Merlin awoke with a jolt. He tried to move his arms, but he found himself tied down to something that felt like a tree, and he opened his eyes with shock as he felt the point of a blade at his throat.

It was Arthur, standing in front of him with betrayal in his eyes and Excalibur at his throat. Merlin noted with surprise that Gwaine was tied to a tree across the clearing, and was evidently struggling to get loose. The other knights were standing around with incredibly hesitant expressions on their faces.

“Your eyes.” Arthur whispered. “They’re gold.” 

Merlin froze. “What?” He was pretty sure that he wasn’t using magic at the moment.

“Your eyes are gold, and you released us from that cage.” Arthur pressed the sword closer to Merlin. “What are you?”

Merlin took a deep breath before making direct eye contact with Arthur. “I’m a warlock. I was born with magic. I was born to serve  _ you. _ ”

“Are you even human?”

“I…” Merlin shook his head, careful of the blade now a little looser against his throat. “I don’t know.” He whispered.

“You don’t know?” Arthur growled. “You’re the creature of magic, how do you not know?”

“I only know what the druids and… another source have told me.”

“And what have they told you?”

Merlin looked at the blade in front of him. “Warlocks are magic incarnate. We’re born with it. We don’t learn it. I had no choice, Arthur.”

Arthur dropped the blade from his throat and a single tear dripped down his face. “I trusted you. Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you even come to Camelot? Was this just some long con to gain my trust?”

“No. No. You’re my friend, Arthur.” Merlin choked down a sob. “I didn’t even mean to stay in Camelot. I have never worked against you. The only reason I stayed at the beginning was because of that damn dragon and his prophecy, but I stay now because I’m your friend.”

“Prophecy?” Arthur snapped.

“You’re the once and future king destined to unite Albion, I’m here to protect you.”

Percival spoke up with a shocked expression on his face. “Emrys.” He whispered.

Arthur turned to look at Merlin as the warlock closed his eyes and sighed. “That is what the druids call me.” 

“Even your name is fake.” Arthur planted his sword in the ground. “Was anything true?”

“My name  _ is  _ Merlin. That’s the one my mother gave me and that’s the one I use. I didn’t ask to be called Emrys.” Merlin looked Arthur right in the eyes, and a sharp pang of hurt flashed through him as Arthur flinched at his golden gaze. “I never lied about my relationship with you. I may be your protector, but you’re my friend and my king. If you banish me, I’ll come back. If you kill me, I’ll probably still come back, there are... problems with my mortality. The point is, Arthur, that I will care for you no matter what you think of me.”

Arthur looked to look into the forest with an expression that was rapidly switching between anger, betrayal, and all encompassing sadness. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to have to lie to your father. I didn’t want you to have to decide.”

“My father is  _ dead _ !” Arthur snapped. “That excuse doesn’t work anymore. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…” Merlin began to cry. “I was scared.”

Arthur walked away with his head in his hands. 

“I don’t know what to do with you, Merlin. Magic killed my father and corrupted Morgana, and now you’re telling me that you’re magic incarnate. I look at you and I see my clumsy manservant.”

“Would it make you feel better if I said that I’m clumsy no matter what?”

“Maybe.” Arthur snapped. “Since you always think you’re so wise, what should I do with you? What would you do if someone who knows everything about you had been lying about the fact that he wasn’t even human for the years that you’ve known him.”

Merlin looked up at his king. “I would let him explain.”

Arthur grabbed his sword from where it was standing out of the ground stormed towards Merlin. Merlin closed his eyes and prepared himself, but froze and opened his eyes when he found that the ropes tying him to the tree had been cut.

Arthur sat down in front of him. 

“Explain.”

So Merlin did. 

Every step he had taken since entering Camelot. Every threat he had stopped. Everything he had killed. Everyone he had killed. All of the horrible things he had done. All of the amazing things he had done. Everything he had done for Arthur, laid out in front of the King.

They yelled. They fought. They cried.

At the end of it, the sun had set and Arthur had come to a decision.

He forgave him, at the order that he never lie to him again.

They embraced, and the new age of Albion began.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!!
> 
> Let me know what you think. Comments and kudos keep me writing! :)


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